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Xref: sserve comp.unix.sysv386:23956 comp.windows.x:45410 comp.os.linux:10520 comp.unix.bsd:5408 comp.os.mach:2182 comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:21774 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:31627 Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386,comp.windows.x,comp.os.linux,comp.unix.bsd,comp.os.mach,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnewsk!cbnewsj!dwex From: dwex@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (david.e.wexelblat) Subject: Re: Free software and the future of support for Diamond products Organization: AT&T Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1992 15:44:51 GMT Message-ID: <1992Sep21.154451.10085@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> Keywords: Diamond, free-software References: <1992Sep12.035549.4743@zeos.com> <1992Sep20.000851.2641@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> <1992Sep21.150821.9472@crd.ge.com> Lines: 25 In article <1992Sep21.150821.9472@crd.ge.com> davidsen@crd.ge.com (bill davidsen) writes: > In article <1992Sep20.000851.2641@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>, dwex@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (david.e.wexelblat) writes: > > | Unless I've missed something, a VESA compliant board supports a BIOS > | standard, not a register-level standard. Unix, like other protected-mode > | operating systems, does not use the BIOS at all, except during boot. So > | there's no such thing as a VESA-compliant driver under Unix, unless > | someone hacks the kernel to allow this to work. > > Youu've missed something. The kernel supports vm86 operation, and it > is possible to drop into real mode, allow access to the i/o ports > needed, and run the BIOS in real mode, then exit back to protected mode. > I am not suggesting this, I'm just saying it can be done. > -- > bill davidsen, GE Corp. R&D Center; Box 8; Schenectady NY 12345 > I admit that when I was in school I wrote COBOL. But I didn't compile. Well. Learn something new every day. Does anyone have a code sample that shows how this may be done? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- David Wexelblat | dwex@mtgzfs3.att.com | Somebody get me a AT&T Bell Laboratories | ...!att!mtgzfs3!dwex | cheeseburger! 200 Laurel Ave - 4B-421 | | Middletown, NJ 07748 | (908) 957-5871 | --Steve Miller Band